Clutch



All@ 10, 1943- J. E. RENHOLDT 2,326,678

CLUTCH Filed Sept. 4, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVEN-ro John E. P/enhold ATTOR Aug. 10, 1943.

J. E. RENHOLDT CLUTCH Filed Sept. 4, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTOR 'part pointed out hereinafter.

Patented Aug. 10, 1943 STATES Y ICE c Y f i l 12,326,673" l f Y "CLUTCH Y 501m 1E. ltenholdt, Bridgeport, Conn., assigner` to Dictaphone :Cor-poration, NewYork, N. Y.; a V.corporatori of-New Yori;

4, 194i, semaine. 439,525' 2 isppn.: ammismirent-er 4 iaims. (Citez- 25),

'This invention relates 'to clutches, particularly of tl'n 'type used to -drive`tiie record support shafts -of commercial phonographs lsuch 'as 'clictating machines, and is vespecially designed lfor yrise in fc'onnection with electromagnetic operation. 1

' lfi-Ieretofore 'it -has 'been-*the custoniito provide' snc-h `irx'achines with ja clutchfcernpo'sed oitvvo, members-one of which is moved 'axially intoenfv g-e'gernent with :the other, 'the said members being providedwith ri'gid Lengagingelements 'or`teeth.

In 'these' machines Sthee driven merrber which is to'beolutched t-ne constantly rotating driving member, is eperatively'oonneoted to a mandrlvcarrying 'the' record tablet and to a feed screw ier 'propellingfamarriage, `oir-which is`r mounted the 4sound'tran slation devices.Y ,These driven elements together possesscansiderable inertia With the rigid Contact typeofvolutch, the of the rigid tprojections or' teeth fre-` quently "to'p`, thatiis, make contacttip to tip, thus `preventing the clutch members 'Troni coni,- ing into 'compl-ete crdtchingengagement, `'the resultbeingth-at the record taljlet' 'and Ycarriage` Y receive lone -or morefsh-arp impacts or ialsestarts'f- 25 Such iutilefcontaot'oi the clutch members is greatly aggrevatedwhere magnetic 'clutch operation is employed, ior, as the lelenzrtric kimpulses exciting the Vmagnet at each ractuation of the manual control are preierably foi `brief duration,

; andarrangernent of lparts as will be'exempliiied Y in the'str'ucture to be hereinafter described, Land indicated inlthe .followingiclaims the vsconezof the application 'of 'which fvvill be min. the-accompanying "drawings, `1n which vis shown one :of 'variouspossib'le ernbo'dimentsiof 'the l mechanical features 'of tliis invention,

rig. 1` is longitudinal sectibnaijview ofthe Y left-hand portion of a Well known type of dictatl the drivin-g means, the"drivenf"1ne'ans, -a"clutch, f

connectionembodying the rpresent invention, 'and means for operating the clutch;`

,-FigrZ is-aleft'end elevation of a portion oi the machine shown in Fig; i? i ofFig.2;-w A- .A

- Eig. 4 is aftransversegsection-'of themachine taken on line 'ile-fi'v oFig'.' -1, showing `the clutch operating: yoke Vwith electromagnetic meansfor if the clutch parts -are not 'permitted 'fully to engage as they come together, the instant pim# pulse is lost and ineffective Aclutch operationu results.Y 1 f `The -obiects 'o my' invention areto provide -a newand improved 'clutchy which may `be used. effectively with any operating means, vvl'nc'ln when` I used with electromagnetic operating means will avoid the diniculty mentioned-and which may be thrown into positive operative lengagementwithout slipping. -1- Anrtlier object is toprovide the clutch connection with improved means for c :ush'ioningY the positive engagement oi the clutchnelements to prevent the tendency for a recording "stylus,

to iirst'dig into the Wax of thefreoordjalank and then hop out again thus settingv 'up ka period of l undesirable up-and-down mechanical movement of the stylus leeforeit iinally settles vdown to cutting a sound groove solely affectedgby sound Vibration.

Other 'objects will he partA obvious and'fin The invention accordingly consists in the features 'oi construction,` combinations lof 'elements' enectingclutchoperationconnectedtherewith;

Fig. 5 'is a-detail lei-tselevation of the clutch 'and associated `niernbers l, enlarged 'to same fscale Yas Fig;v 3.showing the `clutch in inoperativegdrivingf condition; v f m l f Fig. 6 is a siriani-larV viewwith parts'broken away andshowing Ythe clutch operative;

Fig, r1 ist Section at'li, F1- ,f3, shwingthe' clutchA drive .shoe and cushioning spring; f Fig 8 is affurthergenlarged detail s aofFg-.rn-- l,

Fig.- 9 is ianexploded' perspective View clutchvpawlfand drive show-and iggl'() is4 a. diagrammatic'showing of avknovvn v type oielectromagnetic.clutch operating mechanisrn and its remote control connections. .Similar reference characters f refer ,torv

ifprovided-with a3- housing VI I haVingTa-t one side abearingzl Ifor supporting the driven shaft I3 which Vsupports the record tablet mandreLnoty showirgTd the leftlofgthe housing -II there is provided a driving pulleyvlengagedby. a belt I5'- rextending to the pulley oi a, motor, not showng whichffurnishes Ythezpower to rotatethe shaft I3; 1

This pulley hasvla l cast-inclini) `I6 and is rigidly #section at of the similarl parts throughout thevarious views-of the. d-raW-VK shaped to provide tWo legs redis 'croiected by suitable outwardly beyond the toothed memberV 20, its

end a suitable peripherally toothed ratchetlike clutch member adapted to cooperate with a pawl clutch member 2I mounted upon the pulley I4 and always rotatable with said pulley. The inner or right-hand surface of the toothed member 2) rotatably engages the left end of the pulley bushing I8, the other end of thepulley bushing being rotatable in respect to a suitable washer 66 interposed between the substantially ush inner end surfaces of .said bushingr I8 and sleeve I9 and a pinion 61, which is fixed upon the mandrel shaft I3 to drive a feed screw (not shown). .A`

second washer 63 is mounted on the mandrel shaft between the said pinion and the bearing I2. The bushing i8 is also provided with an annular fiange 22 seated in a counterbored portion 23 ofV the pulley hub. Also seated in said counterbored portion of the hub and mounted for rotative movement about the bushing I8, is a drive shoe 24 in the form of-a circumferentially incomplete or lsegmentalv annular ring having; 25 in Fig. 9, afsegmental gap between its opposing ends. Pivotally mounted in 'a `perforation 26' formedin the drive shoe is the drive pawl 2|, the form of which will be readilyl understood by reference to F'i'gffl.V -This pawl'is-provided'with apin 2.1 interfitting with the perforation'26, andis 2 8 and 29 adapted to straddle. the toothed member 20, and a connecting portion which at its lower edgeis tapered to provide a tooth engageable with the teeth of the toothed memberv 20. Controlled pivotal movement of the pawl effects engagement with or disengagement from the tooth portion 20 of the shaft sleeve I9. l Y

When the pawl is-rocked vdownwardly to the position shown in Fig. 6. its single tooth portion firmly engages one of the teeth of the member r2l! and accordingly provides apositlve'driving connection between the' pulley and the d riven shaft..v 'I'he drive shoe is-vpermitted'only limited rotation relativetothe' pulley by reason of the fact that ah'elical cushioning` spring 3I (see as indicated at Figs. 7 and'S) occupies the-space 25 between the opposing ends ofthe drive shoe with one'end ofV the springin Contact, as at 33, .with one of said opposing drive-Shoe vrends and with the other-end of the spring seated upon a pin 312 which extends laterally from the flange of the bushing `I8 into the said space betweenthe drive-shoe ends. A'I'he operation of this Vcushioning device will be referred to later. t

The Vfoot of the outer leg 2.8 of thepawl 2'I, when-the pawloccupies its operative position as .in 6,V lies nartwavV across the end of thel .riven shaft I3 and in the path of projection of a clutch rodl mounted to reciprocate coa'xially within'the bore iid-'ofthe shaft 13. When this operating mechanism The pawlfis atA all timesforced toward the shaft a-Xis by means'rof aj'spiral spring element 31 whichivis suitably attachedV to the pawl portion 29 andpartly surrounds andembraces the portion of the bushing I8 which' lies beyond the outer face of the pulley I4.

the toothed member (seej 35. so as to withdraw it lever member ing a .circuit through coil` .gized for the purpose o f keeping the anism in either its clutched or unclutchedcondition. 'Ihesnap switch ,S mentioned I above is Adiagrammatically u The cushioning spring sl is heid in .the pocket formed between the ends of the ldrive shoe by passing diametrically therethrough and through the rod 35 serving to secure these two members together for longitudinal movement relatively to the shaft I3. The shaft I3 is slotted, as at 42, to "permit this relative endwise movement. A Vgroove 43 in thev collar 40 is adapted to beV engaged by pins 44, carried by a yoke 45 forming part of the clutchY shifting mechanism. Yoke 45 is secured to a pin 46 passing freely through an aperture in aclutch operating bail 48, fulcrumed` n studs 4 9 mounted inthe lmachine housing II.` Extending upwardlyfromthebail is abi'furcatedmemberSIl cooperative with a pin Eluproiecting outwardlyfrom the armature 52 of a suitable` electromagnet having-.opposing magnetic poles 5 3 and` 54 (see Fig. 10), disposed upon opposite sides ofthe armature. The armature is vmounted to Yrock in the space between these Ypoles l andis .attracted `toene or theV other according astheappropriate magnetl coilv555ori 56 is energized by operation of the control switch Si The armature isildesigned to snapfrom one extremepositionl to the other as it passescenter, this being accomplished by v means of anoyerthrow spring58 onnectingthearmature witha side Abt the. line extends to the middle pointer movable contact lc of the snapswitch S.- This contactis adapted to bemoved alternatively into contact with switch contactsk and k2l Switch Y contact lcI 4is connectedl to the magnet coil 55andthen tothecontactmember BZ. Switch contactv k2 is connected tolthe coil `56 and then to the contact member 6Lv The2 other side B Vof the power line extends tothe pivots supporting the toggle lever 59. Thus, sition shown in Fig. 10, the operating mechanism is setto energize coil of the magnetwhen contact is made between switch parts k and kl. When this occurs the armature isdrawn toward the pole 53 and,.after it has passedcenter, snaps intoA contact therewith. As this occurs the toggleA lever 59 throws overfinto contactwith 6I,: thus breaking Ythe circuit through coil 55and prepar- 56 which will become operative when energized Vby contact. between switch parts 7c and lc2. The armature is heldin either of its limit positions ca'm member 65 carried by the armature 52.

The electromagnetic control unit, as described above, is preferably energized by a switch that only closes the circuit momentarilizit being unnecessary to maintain theelectro type, comprises the leafspring contact Ic, and

5 9 which is mounted to rock about` fulcrum points ISI)v alternatively into and ont; o f' contact. with two relectrical .contact members, E I

by: means jof. a spring. biased lever 63having a detent 64 ridable over ,a

agnet ener'- clutch mechsnapk S, `shown as being of the said preferred f the two fixed contacts kl and k2, arrangedat opposite sidesof a piece of insulating material n. When the spring k is pressed down it is' bent to such an extent by successive Contact with kl and n that when it clearsn it vwill snap past con` tact k2 without touching it.V Similarly, when the spring lc is .moved upwardly from its lower posi-- tion it will make contact with k2 and the insulation n but will avoid contact with kl. Parts Fcl, k2 and n may be rigidly mounted on the base piate t of vthe switch S. The spring lc isconnected, as mentioned above, to the power line A,

contact lc! to magnet coil 55 and contact k2 to magnet coil 5t. The switch. spring k is attached' to a movable plate tl that is restored to normal position when it is released by` a spring `(not shown). The switch S may be designed for either hand vor foot operation and be situated at any convenient point with reference tothe dictating machine,

The purpose of the cushioning spring 3| is efficiently and simply to overcome faulty recording resulting momentarily whenever vthe record mandrel is started by -means of a positive clutch. When the mandrel is started instantaneously there is a tendency for the rec-Ording stylus first to dig into the wax of the record blank and then alternately leave the wax and dig in again until such time as the said stylus finally settles down to steady operation. Thus each time the record blank is started rotating by engagement of the clutch, a noisy recording is made. It has beenv found that if the mandrel is made to gain momentum more slowly this eiect is avoided. With the present drive connectionthe clutch pawl is mounted on the drive shoe which vis movably mounted relatively to the drive pulley. Inoperation, as soon las the clutch pawl engages the toothed clutch member the drive shoe is moved around in its seat on the pulley against the reaction loi the coil spring until the accelerating force is equalled by the back pressure ofthe spr-ing. Then the spring `and drive shoe recover their normal positions as the mandrel comes up to full speed and recording takes place smoothly and Without noise effects.

' into and out of driving engagement With saidv From thev foregoing it will be apparent that l this invention is one Well adapted to attain the objects, hereinbefore set forth, in a simple and combination, a driven shaft. a drive pulley relanular groove'encircling said shaft, a clutch element rigid with said shaft, a drive shoe movable vcircumferentially Vin said .annular gro-ove,V a clutchY element carried by said drive shoe and movable into and out of driving engagement with said. clutch element on' said shaft, and a l spring operatively disposed between said drive shoe and said drive pulley to take up shock when -said clutch elements move intov'driving engage# v ment.

2. In a device of thecharact-er set forth, in 1 combination, a driven shaft, a. drive pulleyrelatively rotatable uponvsaid shaft having an :an-

nular groove encircling said shaft, a clutch element rigid with said shaft, a segmental annular driveshoe movable circumferentially in said annular groove, means positioned in said Agro-ove between the ends of said segmentaldrive shoe for limiting such circumferential movement, re-

silient means interposed between an end of said v' rdrive shoe and said limiting means, anda clutch element carried by vsaid -drive shoe and movable clutch element on said shaft.Y

3. Ina device of the character lset forth, in Y combination, a rst rotatably mounted clutch member, a second clutch'member mounted to rotate about said first Vmember in coaxialrelationship therewith, aY ratchet Wheel rigidly` .mountedv upon said first clutch member beyond a face of said second clutch membernormal'to the clutch axis, a spring .pressed pawl {pivotallyjrnountedr l Y Yupon said second clutch member V adapted nor- Vmally to make driving contact with said ratchet Wheel, a rod shiftable coaxially within said rst clutch member to engage aniextended portion of and trip said pawl out of driving contactwith wheel, and means for shifting said said ratchet rod.

Il.Y In a device of the characterrsetforth ,gin combination, a constantly. rotatable first clutch Y,

member, a second yclutch member mounted to Y' rotate about said first member Yin coaxial rela- Ytion-ship therewith, a'ratchet wheel'rigidlycarried by one of'said members,v afspring pressed pawl rotatable with the otherV ofl said members` in a circular path coaxial with said ratchet wheel and mounted for movement into and outiof cooperative contact with saidV ratchet Wheel, a

spring normallyv holding said pawl-in engagement I with said ratchet Wheel, and control means comeY prising a rod shiftable axiallywithin said firstfy Y 'clutchgmember Operable to engage a portion of said pawl and hold'said pawl outof engagement with said ratchet wheelin opposition to the actively rotatable vupon said shaft having an anj 

